TO:
Lawrence Faculty
FROM: Fellows Committee
ABOUT: Faculty Procedure for Recruiting Fellows and Departmental/IA
Recommendation Form for on-campus Fellow interviews
Fellows’ applications for your departments will be available in the appropriate building
office.
WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?
PLEASE REVIEW THE APPLICATIONS, DISCUSS THEM WITH YOUR
DEPARTMENT/IA AND DECIDE WHETHER ANY OF THE CANDIDATES OUGHT
TO BE RECOMMENDED FOR AN INTERVIEW. If you DO NOT find any candidates
that you are extremely enthusiastic about, you DO NOT need to do anything. If you believe
that one or more candidates would be exciting hires for the program, follow the steps below:
HOW DOES MY DEPARTMENT/IA RECOMMEND A FELLOW FOR AN ONCAMPUS INTERVIEW?
1) Talk to department/IA faculty and faculty in related departments who might be
interested in what the candidate does about recommending the candidate for an interview.
YOU OR SOMEONE ELSE will need to volunteer to find out further information about
the candidate and to complete the Fellows Recommendation Form (attached).
2) Phone the candidate: An informal phone interview ought to be conducted to assess the
candidate’s level of interest in the position, availability, whether his or her PhD will be
“in hand” before next Fall, and to help you complete the Fellows Recommendation
Form. Please use the questions on the Fellows Recommendation Form to guide your
phone conversation. Departments/IA’s ought to designate a group or individual faculty
member to call the candidate. ASK CANDIDATES WHO DO NOT YET HAVE THE
PhD TO HAVE THEIR DISSERTATION CHAIR SUBMIT A STATEMENT TO THE
FELLOWS COMMITTEE THAT THE CANDIDATE’S DEFENSE HAS BEEN
SCHEDULED OR THE PhD WILL BE IN HAND BY AUGUST.
3) Fill out the Fellows Recommendation Form: Each department can recommend up to
two candidates for an interview by filling out a Fellows Recommendation Form for each
candidate. The form must be signed by the Department Chair or IA Coordinator. (If more
than one department/IA is interested in recommending the same candidate, they may do
so separately via different forms or coordinate their efforts on one form.
Departments/IA’s ought to designate a group or individual faculty member to complete
the form.)
Send Completed Recommendation Forms to the Fellows Committee, c/o President’s Office,
Sampson House and email a copy to David Burrows). (See Hiring Timeline for due date).
Last updated: 12/07
THE RULES:
Departments may recommend up to 2 candidates for an interview (a separate
recommendation form is required for each candidate). Submit only one recommendation
form per department per candidate. For candidates that cross disciplinary boundaries,
separate forms from each department or IA can be submitted, but we strongly suggest
coordination between the departments and/or IA’s submitting recommendations for the same
candidate. Department Chairs or IA Coordinators must sign and submit the form. We urge
departments to provide a second, alternate candidate in case there is attrition before a first
candidate can be brought to an on-campus interview.
ONLY CANDIDATES WHO WOULD BE EXCELLENT HIRES BY THE
STANDARDS USED FOR TENURE-TRACK POSITIONS OUGHT TO BE
RECOMMENDED FOR AN INTERVIEW. (We would rather that you not recommend
any candidates about whom the department or IA is less than enthusiastic). Recommending a
candidate reflects a department’s or IA’s decision to participate fully in the interview and
evaluation process (campus interviews are completely organized and run by the department).
Interviews will be conducted in the same manner as for tenure-track hiring.
Answers on the FELLOWS RECOMMENDATION FORM will be EXTREMELY
IMPORTANT in the Fellows Committee’s deliberations about which candidates to bring for
on-campus interviews.
A NOTE ON FOREIGN APPLICANTS: For promising foreign applicants, please find out
whether they have the proper visa (H1B) for working at a U.S. educational institution.
Outstanding foreign applicants who do not have a visa may be considered, but due to legal
fees Lawrence would incur, these candidates face an additional hurdle.
If you have questions or for more information, contact David Burrows, Chair of Fellows
Committee (Sampson House, x6528, david.burrows@lawrence.edu) or Mary Tischauser
(x6525, mary.k.tischauser@lawrence.edu)
Last updated: 12/07
FELLOWS INTERVIEW RECOMMENDATION FORM
ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS BELOW (use additional space if needed):
1) How does this candidate compare in quality to someone you would be considering hiring
for a tenure-track position? Please justify your answer.
2) How would this particular candidate benefit the curriculum (e.g., additional classes,
impact on size of department’s classes) and students? Please be specific about the types
of courses this person would teach and how his or her presence might allow department
faculty to offer additional courses or individualized instruction opportunities.
3) What kinds of individualized instruction, research or creative activities, or other
beneficial forms of Fellow-student interaction are likely to occur with this particular
candidate? How will the department encourage involvement of the Fellow in tutorials,
ISs, or other forms of individualized instruction? Please be specific.
Last updated: 12/07
4) What kinds of faculty collaborations (teaching or research) are likely with this candidate?
Be specific about who the candidate would be likely to work with, on what courses or
types of projects, and how students would be involved. Describe any expected transfer of
knowledge from Fellows to faculty and long-term effects this may have.
5) Are there specific, possibly acute, department needs this person would address (e.g.,
sabbatical replacement)? Are there interdisciplinary programs that this person would
contribute to? Is the specialty represented by the Fellow one that the department/IA has
specifically targeted for future growth? Again, please be specific.
6) How will the Fellow be mentored and who will take on the responsibility for doing so?
How will regular contact between mentor and Fellow be maintained and what would help
to ensure that this happens? Please note that mentoring is a crucial component of the
program.
Last updated: 12/07
7) Does the department have the necessary resources (e.g., labs, studio space, etc.) so that
the Fellow will be able to pursue his or her professional activities (research, performance,
etc.)? Is there an office available near others in the department? Please note additional
resources that would be needed to ensure that the Fellow has the resources he or she will
need for teaching and professional activities. Please be aware that departments are
responsible for securing these resources so make sure that you have them or can obtain
them – there is no special funding available through the Fellows program!
8) Explain how the courses the Fellow will teach will aid in the Fellow’s development and
marketability. Departments should negotiate a possible slate of courses with the
candidate. Although sabbatical replacement needs are considered, the Fellows ought not
to be treated merely as sabbatical replacements NOTE: generally, Fellows ought to have
the opportunity to teach at least one lower-level or introductory course and an
interdisciplinary course (e.g., Freshman Studies) during their 2 years. Normally this
should occur AFTER some experience teaching at Lawrence (e.g., no earlier than Winter
Term of Year 1 for a lower-level course; Year 2 for something like Freshman Studies,
unless the Fellow is especially qualified).
9) Tell us about your phone interview with the applicant. How long did it last and what
additional information did you acquire? Is his or her PhD defense scheduled? When?
What is his or her level of interest in the position and availability for it?
__________________________________
Department Chair/IA Coordinator signature
________________
Date
Send to Fellows Committee, President’s Office, Sampson House and EMAIL a copy of the
completed form to David Burrows. (See Hiring Timeline for due date)
Last updated: 12/07